“Everything about which we are tempted to complain may be the very instrument whereby the Potter intends to shape His clay into the image of His Son–a headache, an insult, a long line at the check-out, someone’s rudeness or failure to say thank you, misunderstanding, disappointment, interruption. As Amy Carmichael said, ‘See in it a chance to die,’ meaning a chance to leave self behind…”(Elisabeth Elliot)

Dying to self is not a popular sermon topic these days. I imagine your typical American church won’t really emphasize the whole taking up your cross aspect of following Jesus. More than likely, they’ll focus on the part about Jesus telling people to come to Him when they are weary for His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Which is true. But so is the part about taking up your cross daily and dying to self. So is the part about confessing your sins to one another.

In a culture where we are easily offended — where we look for reasons to be offended — it’s decidedly counter cultural to see things like insults and interruptions as means of shaping my own character. The popular motto is to life your best life now and be your best self — not to die to self and to lay down your life for the sake of the gospel.

I confess that in my flesh I am deeply offended. I want to be proven right, and I want those who upset me to know how they upset me and to do the appropriate amount of groveling and begging for forgiveness.

But Jesus suffered silently. He forgave those as they were in the very act of murdering Him. Then He died for their sins.

And He asks me to take up my cross, die to self, and follow Him, not because He wants me to be miserable, but because He knows best that that is the way that leads to true joy and real peace and abundant life.